Truck and trailer coupling mechanism



Aug. 29 3933. R A FONTNNE 1,924,235

TRUCK AND TRAILER COUPLING MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1930 Patented Aug. 29, 1933 V l u I UNITED STATES P T' I FF E 1,924,235 H TRUCK AND TRAILER COUPLING MECHA- Robert A.Fontaine, Martins ville, Va. Application July 72$, 1930. @Serial No. 411,255 u 10 Claims. (Cl.280 33.44)

The invention relates to means for connecting a er and illust ating my Coupling mechanism a towing vehicle with a trailer and has for its ready for coupling, 3 i i general object the provision ofa novel mecha- Figure 2 is atop plan view of What Is, shown nism for positively connecting the draft tongue in Figure '1, 1 i r i of a trailer at the proper location on the truck Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in eleor other towing vehicle regardless of whether the 'vation and partly insection of the tail end or the trailerwheels be cut or not with respect toi the ng Ve cle Sh w g h forward end of the V wheels, of the towing vehicle, that is to say retrailer tongue connected therewith andintow-I e gardless of whether the trailer tongue be in lng position, and 1 i x 1 alinement or out of alinement with the longi- F u 4 is a fra m t y p p v w f tudinal axis of the towing vehicle. r the wa d d f th t u A more specific object of the invention is to vReferring e-Par u y t thejdlawingithe provide a connecting or coupling means of this numeral designates a portion ofthe rear end i character which may be operated by a Windlass. of a truck, tractor or other towing vehicle. The

, 5 or winding drum applied to the towing vehicle details of construction of this vehicle do not 6 or already forming a part thereof, this latter deenter into the pr i en i t l as n ralta-il being immaterial. 1y considered, though as ainatterof fact I have Another important object of the inventionis di l s d thi v h l as mpri a wh p-- ,7 to providea coupling device of this character p d frame including Side s 11 Connected '20 embodying means on the towing vehicle and other by transverse bars 12.with suitableflbraces 13 means on the trailer which will positively draw t, the in s n av o s w pa ed the trailer into proper alinement with the towp rallel. longitudinally extending bars Msecured ingvehicle and also movement forwardly or rearin any preferred manner at their ends :to the r, wardly as occasion may require to bring about bars 12., Located between and secured; to the M 5 coupling; p H i bars. 14, which are preferably of angle form or's'o' Another object of the inventionis to provide a in cross section, are spaced p andin coupling means of the character "mentioned Plates 15 be w which is u ted a grooved which is entirely power operated and which does guide Pulley roller 16 Over which t d a not require any personal manipulationother than Cable 7 v equipped at one th hook 18 to engage a hookwith an element of a keepera p p be described and v v Io f like nature on the trailer, it being consequently end ur and Wound about a Windlass obviously safe to effect coupling as the operator Winding drum, not shown, mountedgon the ck or attendant need t e i near th m or other towing vehicleat any desired location.

nism. 1 The reason why the Windlass is not ,shown is '35' A further object of the invention is to provide because i is a 00111111011 Sort Of a a 5'0 an apparatus of this character by means of of any p e d Specific construction- B -r Which disengagement of the towing and t tween the hook 18 and the roller'the cable carvehicle may be efi'ectd j t as i l as engageries a sleeve '19 slidable therealong, this sleeve ment, there being a t l aving in t as having a tapered or conical end 20 for a purpose well asin labor. l r 'to' be described. i t 9 ,An additional object i t provide a mecha- Located between the plates 15 which, inciden-, nism of this character which will be simple andtally, are e against'spreading by transverse.

inexpensive to make, assemble and install, easy bolt 21 is a holdelol' e a indieeted genliiral" to operate, positive in action, efiicient and du- 1y bythe numeral Thismember. comprises a rable in service,andageneral improvement in the Cylindrical body 23 having an inivertednfrusto' 10o art. V V conical or flaring guide flange 24 at its lower To the attainment of the folegoing and other, end and provided with diametrically oppositely objects and advantages, the invention preferably extending trunnions 2 JOllmeled the 5 5 consists in the details or construction and the plates 15 so that it is capable of rocking movean ement and combination of parts to be ment ab uts horizontal aXiS- 1 i 1 hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and The l fl Construction, O the t i r, illustrated in the accompanying drawing in dicated generally by the numeral26, forms no which! r I part of the present invention except in so far as Figure 1 is a side elevation of aa ortion of the the tongue is concerned. As a matter of fact this e r end h l u k and the front end oi a trailer may very conveniently be as disclosed in llq V my co-pending application for patent for Brick stack carrying trailer filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 471,256. The tongue structure is here represented as comprising a V-shaped member including a pair of forwardly converging rods 27 having laterally extending trunnions 28 at their rear ends rotatably engaged through bracka ets 29 on the frontof the trailer. The forward ends of the rods 27 are connected by a sectional or two-part clamp 30 which may be formed by casting or stamping, this being immaterial, the vclamp having portions 31 embracingly engaging the rods 27 and having semicylindrical bearing portions 32 located therebetween; The tongue also includes an arm or rod 33 having a reduced portion -34rotatably engaged within the leg lyingain the same plane as that occupied by 1 is equipped with a keeper or catch device which in "within the brackets 29. It should 'alsobe-under-- matter to pull the cable into the slot and then a trunnion or'reduced extension 36. a of the curve at the juncture of thelong and'short engaged over the transverse element 10.

the rods 27 and its'shorter leg orforward end 35 being extended upwardly and terminating in The bight legs of this member '33 is formed with a slot ing likewise through the reduced extension 36.

For cooperationwith the hooklhythe tongue the present instance isdisclcsed a member 33 securedto the underside of the armor rod 33 and having spaced apertured ears 39 through which extends a bolt or rivet 40. r r a '1 In the operation ,ofga the device, it should be understood'at the outset that the V-shaped poi tion of thetonguezcomprising therod's '27 con-1 nected by thesectional clampcan swing vertically;

owing'tothe. engagement of the trunnions .2 3

stood that the. rod or arm 33is rotatable axially withinthe bearing portions 32 oi'the clamp 30.

The reasonnfor" this is to permit up, and down movement of theitrailer with respect to the tow- 'ing'vehicle, andalso to permit canting, lateral rocking or twisting of the trailer with respect .to' the truck or other towing vehicle while the member 33 is'held rigid. Assuming that the. trailer correctpqsition' and that it is desiredto effect connection or coupling. of rtheftwo, it is merely necessary to slack ofi onthe cable 17 so that the hook '18 may be inserted between the cars 39 and It is then preferable though sometimes not necessary that the operator guide the cable into the slot 37 simply as'a' preliminary step. If the operator doesthis, as he really should, it is a very simple slide down the guide 19' until its recessed lower end fits upon the reduced extension 36. at the for- 70. V I sion to the cable 17 or wind it in. As this is done ward end of the member 33. It-is intended that the member 19 fit sufficiently snugly that the engag'e'ment-or" the cable within the slot 37 will be maintained without any furtherpersonal attention on the part of the operator. Thepower or hand mechanism for the winding drum or windlassynot shown, is then operatedtoapply tenitis obvious that the trailer tongue will be lifted a from the-ground. Furthermore as the winding in tension is applied "to the cable 1'? it is clear that as this cable runs over the guidepulley 16 and"through the retaining member 22 the forward end of the tongue willbe conducted into the member 22, being guided into the cylindrical portion 23 thereof by the outstanding flaring portion 24. It is then intended that whatever brake mechanism is provided for the Windlass be set so that the cable 1'? will not slack off accidentally.

In view or" the fact that the guide element 19' fitting upon thereduced extension 36 then fits within the cylindrical sleeve 23 and in view of the fact that the member 22 is confined between the plates15 it'is obvious that when the towing vemunicated to the trailer through the tongue. Any racking ofthe trailer with respect to the truck will cause no derangement of the parts owing to the revolubility of the reduced portion 34 of the member 33 within the bearing portions 32 of .the'clamp 30. In view of the fact that the member 22 is pivoted between the plates 15 by means of the trunnions 25 it is readily apparent eat the member22 may'shiftits position to accommodate the pull on the trailer so thatthere will be no unnecessaryor destructive strain on ofthe parts. To eliect disconnection oruncoupling it is merely necessary to slack olion the cable -17'so that the member 19 may slip out of th'eimember 22 and slip oif from the reducedextension 36, the tongue falling to the-ground, sub-' sequently to which the hook 18 is isengaged from' the-keeper 40. I I p v From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that I have 'thus vhicle is driven the tractive force will be comprovided a very simply constructed andeasily alinement with the longitudinal center line ofthe towing vehicle,-or in other words thetrailer wheels may be cut with respectto those ofithe towing vehicle. It is really'believed that the construction, operation and advantages should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation. 1

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that'the disclosure is merely anexemplification of the'principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changesin the details of construction as willwiden thefieldof-utility "and increase'the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit ,of the invention ;or the scope of the claims hereunto appended,

Having thus-described the invention, I claim:

1. Means for couplingja, towing vehicle and g a trailer, comprising a'tongue including a rear portion pivoted on the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis and including a forward por-'-.

from its end for engaging the tongue with the retaining means, r V v v 2. Meansfor coupling a towing vehiclev .to .a trailer, comprising a tongue pivoted to the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis, retaining means on the towing vehicle, a indlass operated 'end of the cable engageable with an eye on the tongue, the cable operating to guide the tongue into said retaining means upon the application of tension to the cable, the tongue having means receiving and enclosing the cable.

3. Means for coupling together a towing vehicle and a trailer, comprising retaining means on the towing vehicle, a tongue on the trailer pivoted thereto for movement about a horizontal axis and including a forward portion revoluble with respect thereto about its longitudinal axis only, and fiexible means on the towing vehicle connectible with the tongue at the underside thereof in spaced relation to its end for drawing the tongue into said retaining means, and means -on the tongue projecting downwardly beyond said flexible means.

4. Means for coupling a trailer to a towing vehicle, comprising a tongue pivoted to the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis and having an upwardly curved front end, a retaining,

front end of the tongue having a slot receiving the cable to prevent contact thereof with the ground. a

5. Means for coupling a trailer to a towing vehicle, comprising a tongue pivoted to the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis, a retaining member mounted on the towing vehicle, and a Windlass operated cable on the towing vehicle passing through said retaining member and connectible with the tongue, said tongue having an upwardly directed forward end provided with a slot receiving the cable to prevent the cable from being abraded by contact with the ground when the tongue is resting thereupon.

upwardly directed forward end provided with a slot receiving the cable, and a guide element slidable on the cable and engageable with the forward end of the tongue to retain the cable in said slot.

7. Means for coupling a trailer to a towing vehicle, comprising a tongue pivoted to the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis, a retain ing member mounted on the towing vehicle, a Windlass operated cable on the towing vehicle 'passing through said retaining member and connectible with the tongue, said tongue having an upwardly directed forward end provided with a slot receiving the cable, and a guide element slidable on the cable and engageable with the forward end of the tongue to retain the cable in said slot, the extremity of the tongue having a socketed to fitthereover.

reduced extension and said guide element being vehicle, comprising a tongue pivoted to the trailer for movement about a horizontal axis, a retain ing member mounted on the towing vehicle, a Windlass operated cable on the towing vehicle passing through said retaining member and connectible with the tongue, said tongue having an upwardly directed forward end provided with a slot receiving the cable, and a guide element slidable on the cable and engageable with the forward end of the tongue to retain the cable in said slot,

the extremity of the tongue having a reduced I extension and said guide element being socketed to fit thereover, said retaining memberhaving a flaring guide flange at its lower end and having its major portion of cylindrical-form to receive said guide member.

9. Means for coupling together a-towing vehicle and a trailer, comprising a tongue pivoted; on the trailer for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a retaining member of sleevelike form with a substantially vertical axis mounted on the towing vehicle for movement about a horizontal axis, a Windlass operated cable on the towing vehicle extending through said retaining member-and connectible with the tongue, and means on the cable engageable with the'tongue and receivable within the retaining member.

10. Means for coupling together a towing vehicle and a trailer, comprising a tongue pivoted on the trailer for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a retaining member of sleeve-like form with a substantially vertical axis mounted on the towing vehicle for movement about a horie zontal axis, a Windlass operated cable on the tow-' ing vehicle extending through said retaining 7 member and connectible with the tongue, and means on the cable engageable with the tongue and receivable within the retaining member, said tongue including a forward portion revoluble about an axis extending I longitudinally with respect to the trailer.

ROBERT A. FONTAINE. 

